The Shawnee Dispatch / Chris Wristen

Chris Wristen is the sports editor for The Shawnee Dispatch, Bonner Springs Chieftain and Basehor Sentinel. Prior to this appointment, he helped launch The Lansing Current, a weekly newspaper in Lansing, Kan. He spent 3 1/2 years there as the sports editor and helped The Current become an award-winning publication on the state and national levels. The Current finished second in the Inland Press Association's Nation's Best Non-Daily Newspaper Competition in the under-5,000 circulation division in 2007. Chris also has been a sports reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal and the Lawrence Journal-World. Chris is a Kansas native. He earned his bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas in Spring 2002 and completed his Masters Degree in Sports Administration at KU in December 2003. While at KU, his in-depth feature "Players get the hollers, KU keeps the dollars," placed third nationally in the William Randolph Hearst Sportswriting Competition. Chris was recognized numerous times by the Kansas Press Association for his work at The Lansing Current. He has been a frequent winner in the KPA's Awards of Excellence competition. His KPA honors in the Nondaily Division 2 category include: 2005 First place - Sports feature story, "The rise of Logan Ryan." 2006 First place - Sports column writing. 2006 Third place - Sports feature story, "Remembering a legend." 2006 Honorable mention - Sports story, "Nietzke ignites Lions." 2006 Honorable mention - Youth story, "Lansing band in spotlight." 2007 First place - Sports column writing. 2007 First place - Headline writing. 2007 Third place - Sports story, "A day for Sean." 2007 Honorable mention - Sports feature story, "Kroll intentions." 2008 Third place - Sports column writing. 2008 First place - Sports photography for "A family affair." Chris also was recognized by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association as a 2005-2006 Wrestling Media of the Year award winner for his coverage of Lansing High wrestling. In addition, Chris is a regular contributor to KUsports.com.

Recent stories

Kennedy savors All-Star volleyball experience: By Chris Wristen; November 18, 2008; Kristen Kennedy hoped to emerge from the MO-KAN Senior All-Star Volleyball Match with a victory for Kansas in the large school match.
SM North runners lauded: By Chris Wristen; November 18, 2008; Cross country season has been over for a few weeks, but the honors keep rolling in at Shawnee Mission North.
St. James players, coaches lead Kansas All-Stars to win: By Chris Wristen; November 18, 2008; Lacking their full ensemble cast, four St. James Academy seniors and their coaching staff combined with a handful of other players from Northeast Kansas to lead the Kansas All-Stars to a four-game sweep of Missouri in the small class match of the MO-KAN Senior All-Star Volleyball Match on Monday.
Gardner blazes past Mill Valley, 45-0: Jaguars end best season in school history with quarterfinal loss; By Chris Wristen; 11:25 p.m., November 14, 2008 Updated 10:51 p.m.; Gardner-Edgerton worked with a short field all night and scored seemingly at will as it made quick work of Mill Valley, 45-0, during a Class 5A football state quarterfinal matchup Friday night at Gardner Stadium.
SMNW gymnasts still No. 2 at state: Trussell takes gold on balance beam, Owen runner-up on floor exercise; By Chris Wristen; November 12, 2008; Jackie Cipollini knew she had her work cut out for her when she took over as the Shawnee Mission Northwest gymnastics coach in August. Replacing a legend is never easy.
All-State volleyball squad includes plenty of Thunder: By Chris Wristen; November 12, 2008; Ask any St. James Academy volleyball player about the team’s philosophy during its march to a 45-1 record and the Class 4A state championship and they’ll likely tell you that the sum is greater than the parts.
Perfect strike: Shawnee resident electrifies alley, bowls 300 game at Park Lanes; By Chris Wristen; November 12, 2008; For eight years the memory stayed with Kevin Hanson: 299.
Wristen: ‘CityBall’ a must-see: By Chris Wristen; November 12, 2008; The Interscholastic League as I knew it in high school was the place where Central’s Derek Hood grabbed about 20 rebounds per game.
St. James finishes 4th: By Chris Wristen; November 11, 2008; For four straight postseason games the St. James Academy boys soccer team found a way to score whenever it was necessary to pull off a victory.
St. James finishes 4th: By Chris Wristen; November 8, 2008; Wild finish after wild finish carried the St. James Academy boys soccer team all the way to the Class 4-1A state tournament Final Four. Once there, the Thunder’s luck ran out.

Full story list

Recent photos

Mill Valley senior Kristen Kennedy keeps the ball alive during game three of the MO-KAN Senior All-Star Volleyball Match at Avila University.

Mill Valley senior Kristen Kennedy gets low for a dig during the MO-KAN Senior All-Star Volleyball Match.

St. James Academy's Brook Jansen, left, and Kelly Kolich, right, combine for a block during the Kansas All-Stars' 4-0 sweep of Missouri.

St. James Academy's Nia Williams keeps a ball alive off the back line during the Kansas All-Stars' victory over Missouri.

St. James Academy's Rachel Gray, right, sets teammate Brook Jansen during the MO-KAN Senior All-Star Volleyball Match on Monday at Avila University. The Kansas All-Stars swept Missouri in four games.

Full photo list

Talking points

Do you think Veterans Day should be a prominent holiday?

Absolutely. We wouldn’t be able to sit here and eat lunch like this if it weren’t for the veterans. We’ve got millions of people that fought and died to save this country; it should be more than a bank holiday.

— Byron Arthur

More responses